CHENNAI: With the weight of a school bag on her back, Vinodhini, a Class 11 student at a private school in Gummidipoondi, walks nearly two km daily from the nearest bus stop in Rettambedu to her village, Kuruviagaram, often after sunset due to special classes. The path has no street lights and is also a haven for snakes.
She is just one among the scores of girl students from Kuruviagaram, who, equipped with nothing but torchlights, risk their lives every day while returning from school as there are no buses to the village. “It is unsafe. We also instruct girl students not to accept rides from any strangers,” said S Priya, a female resident.
Around 1,000 Dalits who live in Kuruviagaram have long been demanding bus services to their village, but have so far not been able to elicit any official action. Around 60 high school students go out of the village to study every day, as Kuruviagaram only has a primary school.
One resident, M Kannadasan (20), who is pursuing his masters in social work at the Loyola College, Chennai, said that route number 43 (Gummidipoondi-Pallipalayam) stops at Rettambedu which is two km away from the village. In the evening, there are only two buses, one at 4.30 pm and another service at 6.30 pm.
The bus is operated from the Ponneri depot. Students and workers (including women) who take the 6.30 pm bus are left to brave the dark and snakes, he said.
Urging the government to extend the bus route till Kuruviagaram, Kannadasan said the move will positively impact around five panchayat villages surrounding Kuruviagaram, with a population of around 2,000. Another resident, V Ramya (33), said that the lack of buses is an obstacle especially during medical emergencies. We have to transport the patient either by two-wheeler or an autorickshaw if the 108 ambulance is not available, she added.
Speaking to TNIE, Gummidipoondi MLA TJ Govindarajan said, “Kuriviagaram hamlet has less population. We will do an estimate and depending on the patronage we will talk to the transport department and take steps to extend the bus service to the village”